Google Merchant Center Makes Big Changes – Classic vs. Next

In the ever-evolving e-commerce landscape, Google Merchant Center (GMC) has been a vital tool for online retailers to manage their product listings and reach customers on Google. Recently, Google introduced Google Merchant Center Next, a revamped version of the classic platform. In this article, we’ll delve into the differences between Google Merchant Center Next and Classic Google Merchant Center, helping you understand which version is right for your business. Google Merchant Center makes big changes that have affected where GMC Next differs from the Classic version:

1. Interface – GMC Next has a modern, more intuitive interface, making it easier for merchants to navigate and manage their product listings.
2. Performance metrics – GMC Next internally has more detailed analytics without going to Google Analytics.
3. Ad integration – GMC Next integrates with Google Ads so that users can take basic Google Ads Actions within GMC Next.  

The Big Picture

Let’s take a second to zoom out from Google Merchant Center for a second and look at the three main spheres within the Google e-commerce ecosystem: (1) Google Merchant Center; (2) Google Ads; and (3) Google Analytics. At times, it can be hard to separate one from another while keeping their offerings straight. This could perhaps be some of the motivation behind Google’s push for GMC Next.

Ideally, GMC Next brings parts of Google Analytics and Google Ads to GMC so the casual user does not have to bounce between the three. When someone comes to us for a Google Ads Campaign, they typically want to immediately optimize their campaign (search, display, Performance Max). Counter-intuitively, our first step is not to fix the Google Ads campaign, but rather check Google Merch Center to correct any underlying errors and feed rules. Google Merch Center is the bedrock on which a Google Ads campaign is built; if the foundation has cracks in it, the ad campaign is doomed to fail over time.

Google Next Potential Hiccups

This leads us to our three biggest issues with the Google Next implementation:

1. Our first main issue lies with the direction (highlighted above) that we see with our clients needing integration. We see the need for integration from the direction of Google Ads to Google Merch Center as a bigger issue than the other way around; however, this is the exact opposite of what Google Next solves. Google Next is more geared toward the casual e-commerce user by incorporating Google Ads and Google Analytics watered-down functionality.
2. The second biggest issue is that GMC Next does not (for now) have the level of detailed analytics that Google Analytics has nor does it have the functionality that Google Ads has. Thus, we must continue to leverage both Google Ads and Google Analytics separately in addition to the GMC Classic version.
3. Lastly, auto-optimization of titles and descriptions tends to create more headaches than it fixes. The international economy is too complicated with too many variances and nuanced products where a rules-based optimization correctly titles and describes products.

Does It Make Sense?

The root of this problem is that we are comparing Google Next to Classic; however, GMC Classic should be used with Google Ads and Google Analytics. If you compare the overall capabilities through that lens, then Google Next pales in comparison. Now that we’ve highlighted our biggest qualms, let’s see where Google Next may apply:

1. If you are a company with less than $100/day of ad spending, then Google Next may be right for you. This is because the enhanced features of Google Ads and Google Analytics may not necessitate using the full combination of GMC Classic + Google Ads and Analytics.
2. If you are purely an e-commerce company with little to no difficulty classifying conversions and a relatively basic inventory. However, something like an auto dealership where conversions are hard to quantify would likely require a more robust approach that Google Next does not provide.
3. If you’re new to Google Merchant Center, you may want to start with GMC Next for a more streamlined experience and realize that Google will continue to improve its offering.

If you’re already familiar with the Classic Google Merchant Center, you may want to stick with what you know.  Google Merchant Center makes big changes that have had their difficulties. For now, we will stick with our approach by leveraging the more robust Google Ads and Google Analytics in conjunction with GMC Classic.